Cherokee - Icing Condition or something else...

[pressler]

Whilst flying my Cherokee from KTOC to KGKT, I encountered a catastrophic situation. I used the Flight Planner in FSX:SE and created the plan with IFR. So, I was assigned 10000 ft in route alt. Keep in mind the route is directly over the Blueridge mountains, otherwise I'd have been at a lower alt. Anyway, at about 35 miles out I was instructed to descend to 7900 ft, so I complied. There were clouds at that level, but didn't I really didn't concern myself with them. All of a sudden, while still in AP, the Cherokee went off course and I tried to correct, attempted to disconnect the AP, but I had no response with my controls. I was panicked and cannot remember if I actually flipped off the AP master.switch. I was in a uncontrolled spin headed toward earth when I just exited out of FSX because I couldn't face the enevitable. My question is, do you think this was an icing condition on the control surfaces or maybe a AP malfunction or maybe something else I haven't considered?

Thanks for any advice!!

[LZ-WIL]

Hi,

Very interesting experience pressler, have you checked your aircraft in the hangar after this event? It looks more like flap or aileron failure, than icing to me.
Let us know, if you find anything in your hangar inspection.

Cheerz,
Will

[chadryan]

Was the engine running smooth the whole time? Not losing power? If the engine lost power it could be carb icing


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[pressler]

Was the engine running smooth the whole time? Not losing power? If the engine lost power it could be carb icing

No, the engine seemed to be running fine.

[pressler]

Hi,

Very interesting experience pressler, have you checked your aircraft in the hangar after this event? It looks more like flap or aileron failure, than icing to me.
Let us know, if you find anything in your hangar inspection.

Cheerz,
Will

I checked the hangar and everything is in excellent shape. This is a mystery for sure

[caleb1]

Was the Autopilot in track/nav mode following the GPS? I fund many autopilots in the sim (or maybe in real life too, never flown a plane with AP in RL) will mess up and start turning off course.
The Cherokee's autopilot is an autopilot in which you need to be trimmed correctly for the altitude hold to work. Maybe the trim got messed up and it began to climb rapidly and stalled.

Also, I have never found the AP disconnect button on the yoke to work in any of my A2A planes. I have to flick the AP master.
Am I the only one experiencing this?

Thanks.

[pressler]

Ok, I found the culprit to my odd flight. I was able to repeat the same in a subsequent flight this morning. This condition seems to happen when I pop the GPS out, then undock the view. Then, I will slide it over to my second monitor. When I drag the corner to resize the window, I get a flashing circle around my mouse pointer that will not go away and it causes everything in the sim to be intermittently non-responsive. This tells me it isn't anything to do with my flying skill set. Has anyone ever encountered this kind of issue? I can say that the second monitor is not the same resolution as the one that my sim is running in.

Thanks for everyone's input!!

Robert

[caleb1]

What is the "flashing circle"?

Is it the swirly thing that used to be the hour glass in Windows XP and some styles of Windows 7?

Caleb

[pressler]

Yes, in Win10 it's what used to be the hourglass

[caleb1]

Does it replace the cursor or just have the small one next to the cursor?

[Jacques]

Caleb,

I'm usually the last person to do this sort of thing....but, do you think you might look on the internet for the answers to those kind of questions instead of tail-end posting on a thread about icing in the Cherokee?


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[caleb1]

Caleb,

I'm usually the last person to do this sort of thing....but, do you think you might look on the internet for the answers to those kind of questions instead of tail-end posting on a thread about icing in the Cherokee?


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They are two completely different things.

The small one next to the cursor means the computer is working in the background, and this usually happens to me when turning on the GTN. If that is the case, than the OP's "icing condition" and "uncontrolled spin towards earth" are not related to the PC and GTN, but related to the plane.

If the circle replaces the cursor, than the sim is locking up. So it is then a sim problem. But I still don't see why that could result in the aircraft going out of control.

If the circle replaces the cursor, than it is beyond my knowledge and the A2A staff needs to help you (the OP) out.

Caleb

[Jacques]

Ah, well I completely lost the plot on that one...I see where you were headed now and I apologize for my remark!


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[caleb1]

Ah, well I completely lost the plot on that one...I see where you were headed now and I apologize for my remark!


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It's ok.

[Jacques]

Evidence I'm becoming the grumpy old man I swore I'd never be!


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